Here's what's happining at Gingerbreads House!

Just in case some are wondering what's going on with me....absolutely nothing but a cold ugh! We took the Flu shot a couple of weeks ago and we both felt fine...then last week I started with a cough and what I thought was my sinus problems ...well, it continued to get worse and I've been mopping around like a real old lady...Taking cold pills three nights in a row gave me three nights of sound sleeping...but not enough to give me some energy to get rid of the "head cold" as I've dubbed it....I haven't been able to concentrate on doing anything but mindless watching the TV and soaking up all the pity I'm getting from Cecil...
Talk about fixing easy meals ....I'm mostly eating soups (out of a box no less) Wish I had done like I said I would do...make some soup and put them into the canner, I just don't like using that thing ...I'm afraid it will blow up on me :o(
So you see I have nothing much to report....We are both glad we voted early...So I don't have to worry about standing in line now, especially not being well.....I still need a few days to be better...until then...don't forget to vote!

Looking better each row

Now that I'm understanding which step goes next..it is looking better..I had so much trouble with the selvages and the bottle for tension(I think) that I got sick of it breaking etc. that I decided to just dispense with using it...and it seems to me it is looking better, especially on the left side (have to see what I do that it looks better than the right), this is still a learning process for me....and being in class once a week really isn't enough to be an expert...but being determined is an asset.
Below is a picture of how much has really been done...the first part is a disaster, but that's okay, it helped get the second part on course...it looks darker but you can see enough of it.......soon it will be done...and hopefully the next one will be better from the start......

Work done underneath

Although I've made a few mistakes with this project...one thing I notice is that once you get going it goes pretty quick...it's amazing how much gets done with every "pick" (I think that's the proper name for throwing the shuttle :o)
Anyway, where I made the mistakes I can fix it by turning them into items, with my serger I can make part of it into dish cloths :o) (grandma's know how to save stuff).

The New Fig Tree

Today is just one of those days when Mother Nature just doesn't want to give up..the weather is about 74 degrees and it makes you think Spring has cheated Fall!, I'm enjoying the greenery that is trying to thrive...the new little Fig Tree is doing well and this is the first time I was able to take a picture of the figs she still holds.....one fell off and Cecil caught it the same hour....it was so sweet, what a foretaste Divine! Enjoy the day....Snow and Ice is coming....

I kinda got my pictures mixed up....I'm trying to cook and blog at the same time...I know better but I'm in a hurry and you know haste makes waste..
I just had to show this Hydrangea that I clipped first of Spring and showed it to you in the stand next to it....well it started growing so fast I had to re-pot it, Seems to me it doesn't know it's not Spring again yet! :o) it's just growing and looking so Healthy...it has those pretty blue flowers on it....I think I'll put it near the Blessed Tree, where there is more shade.......

Collards still Growing strong

What can I say about these Collards that a picture doesn't?.....They are still growing and I took a picture before I cropped them for today's dinner and didn't know I had it on "Video" ugh! I haven't learned to do that part on the camera yet! when the Grandkids get here they will show me how to do it.....Anyway, this is a picture after the fact....they relly look good and they are Organic :o)...

Another View

Nice new greens

Bless their little hearts, just thriving like mad and nothing done special for them jut thrown in fertile soil that we don't know what the heck we did to make it so...this spot was full of beautiful Hosta's and then the snow pellets fell and killed them...so instead of more Hosta's I wanted to try greens....Glad I did, we haven't had to buy one green (except a bunch of Spinach, which Cecil was too stubborn to plant for me, bet he does this spring). This crop is only two weeks old! Cecil happened to read the package and it said plant in Spring or Fall!....Well, Fall planting teaches a lot...I've got greens and a piece of my cornbread is a meal within itself.....

Dreary Day in NC

Today "Saturday" really feels like a "Sabbath" a day just to rest...unless we are just being lazy....We both slept later than usual..I think it's the weather that lulls you into a deeper sleep....unless turning the heat down did it! anyway, we both had our chosen breakfast's Cecil had his Bran Flakes and I had bacon and egg sandwich (I love bacon anytime:o) Then we sat in our chairs and watched the PBS programs of places to go and things to do...and then traveled via the TV a bit...watched some gardening..and swore next year our garden will be the best ever.
The rest of the day I'll spend Weaving ....Weaving takes a bit of memory, if you have to stop , you have to make a note of where you were (I do for now anyway) ...I don't have enough on the loom worth showing...but as soon as I do I'll take a picture. I'm just happy that I got the loom warped correctly and I'm functioning..
I don't have to worry about cooking dinner...I made a pot of Vegetable and beef soup that seemed to grow as I added everything I could think of...and made a few biscuits (frozen Mrs B) I didn't have to add any salt or pepper for a change, it was delicious and I have enough left to eat today...I think I'll make a piece of Bar-Be-Que pork for tomorrow...and some collards (from the side of the house garden that just won't quit growing on this "Almost an Acre" Farm :o)....

Impatients hanging on

I took a shot inside through the window to show the inpatients, they were very pretty this year and strong....Cecil has covered them up two nights in a row..to Save them from the nights freezing cold....it helps them a lot ...in the morning he removes the covers and the Sun warms them up....They last pretty good for awhile, then all he has to do is forget one evening or it's too cold to continue, then he lets them go to rest for the winter....thank goodness Winter in NC isn't long as up North in NJ....by March we are breaking ground again :o)

The Last of the Summer Blooms

Cecil brought in the last of the Summer Roses for this year...he takes pride in having them bloom as long as they do...he gives them water, from the inside A/C and it seems to give them some "lasting power"....Once in a while I still see a Gardenia on the bush, but by the time I notice it has turned brown....I will say that the Impatient's in the window sill are still in bloom, Cecil wraps them up like babies at night during the early first freezes.....when they start to show stress , he will take them up and give the dirt a rest.....

After this bloom , I'll sleep til Spring

I've done what I came back to do, and very soon I'll shrivel up and sleep till Spring , then I'll pick up where I left off last Spring ....and be beautiful again.

"Chicken and Dumplings"

Surprise, I had a couple of emails asking for my "Chicken and Dumplings" recipe.....I learned to make it from Cecil's mother...my mother made them also, but at that time I was an "Air head" :o) and didn't pay attention to any cooking....I just ate when it was done.:o)
"Chicken and Dumplings" is no more than chicken cooked down (maybe with a piece of country Ham for more flavor.....with strips of flour dough that the only thing added was salt and food coloring (one of my brother in laws wouldn't eat it if it was just plain white color flour, the yellow made him think there were egg yolks in it.) Things were tough for MIL to feed 9 kids and she did the best she could.....It was very confusing for me when I was asked if I wanted "Chicken Pie" and was presented with Chicken with dumplings < Cecil and his siblings had dubbed it "Chicken pie" my idea of chicken pie was with carrots , potatoes, celery and peas within a crust (bottom and top crust).....It took me years to clear up the difference with Cecil, my children understood the difference because I made sure I cleared that one up right away!
The recipe is just use enough flour (I use self rising flour for about everything), sprinkle salt to taste....then add some yellow food coloring to about a cup of water..(or enough to be able to roll out the dough nicely....then I sprinkle a little black pepper on the dough, then I cut it with a pizza cutter (makes it nicer if you have one that gives serrated cuts) into strips and then across for smaller strips about 2 -3 inches long and 2 inches wide (that makes it ideal). but you might change that in time.....let the dough sit out while you cook the chicken....You can make it with chicken wings or chicken backs or a whole chicken.....that too will change once you see how your family likes it.....I used a box of chicken broth this time because I had it..but you can use chicken stock that I get at Sam's club in a jar ...just about a tablespoon is enough to give it some body with the cooked chicken.......You can also get strips already made up in a box "Annie's Dumplings" they are cheap enough so you don't have to do the work...but the work is enjoyable and probably more healthy :o)
Make sure your pot is boiling...you can take your chicken out (if it's done) while you drop the strips into the boiling water....(make sure you sprinkle a little flour on the dough while it sits out) it will be fine when you cook it , that will help to make a nice little gravy to it..(if not make a flour and water paste) be careful, the longer it sits the more water the strips will absorb.
Let it cook about 5 -10 minutes (without stirring< you break up the strips)put the chicken back in and make sure the strips don't stick to the bottom.... then put on back burner and let it sit about 5-10 minutes before eating.Enjoy...
UPDATE: I forgot to say add some fresh celery and onion to the boiling water with the chicken you can remove before adding flour strips.

People lined up Wall to Wall to vote

I have never seen such a turn out for voting in all my 78 years...Cars were all over the streets parking...and inside they were all lined against the wall like they were holding it up.......we were told there was a voting area for the disabled around the back...and that's where we went....we were able to sit in our car...and an electronic board was passed to us after our identification was verified!And we both were able to vote while sitting in the car (two hours later). The "car line" wasn't too long, just took time to get things done....I'm glad they had that feature...We were both stiff as boards when we got out, but that wasn't as bad as trying to hold up that wall inside, I would probably have had to leave and come back early in the morning to be there before they opened, to prevent back problems later ...At least it's done now and we can relax that we have done our civic duty.We would have continued to revisit until we were able to cast our votes.....Just a reminder for all...get out and vote...

A Quiet Sunday

Yesterday we spent a quiet Sunday at home....went to try and vote twice, but it was so crowded and I can't stand up too long without suffering back pain, we figured after Church everyone would be voting...and we seem to be right...We did notice a lot of young people were out to vote, that was very pleasing.....we will try again today when most are at work.
We just about took it easy most of the day...I made a pot of "Chicken and Dumplings" one of Cecil's old time favorites, and some greens from the garden < that garden just doesn't want to give up.....wish shipping wasn't so expensive...the kids would enjoy some of them, packed up and ready to cook.
I decided to give my Home Weaving project a rest, I am so delighted to have it on the Loom warped correctly and waiting to be woven on....I just want to look at it for awhile and remember the steps it took to get it to this point...This one certainly has been a learning project...I had to work from the front then work from the back....to get it all lined up...the threads were all twisted every which way, and had to be corrected....ugh! but it's done and looks good ....

Weaving Class Last night

I meant to take my camera last night to show you what was going on in Weaving Class last night....but in my haste I forgot....but I was glad I went early to get started with my project...class doesn't start until 6:30pm...I got there about 5:00, I was lucky other classmates popped in early..and Frank (bless his kind soul) didn't want me to lose the precious time , so he insisted on helping me to take the warp off the board correctly ..not to lose the cross < (cross is very important for you non weavers).....I got the warp off the board successfully without balling anything up and tied it into more spots for security!! By that time .
Teacher enters the classroom :o)....After getting the rest of the class settled and working...she came to me (knowing I had goofed the job at home) and decided she was going to show me a different way of warping the loom with more success! Well, I mean to tell you I became jittery..I didn't want to learn something new when I was in hot water already with the old.:o(..but something said "Be quiet Gingerbread and learn something) I tried to block out the "New" stuff so afraid I wouldn't get it and be in more frustration...well, Teacher took her time and kept tying that little square box with four nails in it to the front beam, and explaining as she did , how I could move it over when I needed to..and how the cross threads showed on top and would be lifted one by one without disturbing the other part of the warp that was still tied securely....Well, I'm glad my inner Angel told me to keep quiet at the right time..that was the easiest lesson thus far and I didn't need any warping sticks to fumble while I tried to hold them and put the warp on the loom...I ended up Loving the procedure...Have to give Teacher credit , she knows her stuff and if I would "shut the Heck up" and listen :o( I'd get the knowledge :o)
I'm going to be one of the best darn weavers there is :o)
I think we need to give a Hip Hip Hooray to Good Teachers! They keep the world going sharing their knowledge.
I'm working on the Home project today with new vigor....

Best Rare Breakfast This Morning

Why is it the best rare breakfast! Cecil made this breakfast this morning for me!
(I wonder what he is up too , or what treasure of mine did he break :o( That's why it's so rare, he doesn't do it often, but I think this morning it was super and i was hungry...bacon, biscuits, cheese and eggs and homemade Apple sauce (Or Apple butter, < I don't know which it is , just that it tastes real good...Who could ask for anything more....This afternoon we go for our flu shots, and then out to Lunch Dinner (it will be our last meal for the day) and the compliments of our Granddaughter ( my namesake) to Applebee's for Cecil's Birthday< We picked today in case after the shot we are out of it...Cecil never has any after affects, but I always zonk out! I'm so delicate hehehe LOL

What a tangled Mess

Will I ever get it straight! There has got to be a better way of taking the warp off the board without getting a tangled mess like this....I'm ignorant how to proceed to prevent this mess..but I have the warp done at school that I will watch teacher take off so I can do it right.I've spend the last couple of days..."untangling".
Cecil thinks I'm very patient ..( I think I'm very stubborn), it must be done and I have to do it...

Ready to start weaving

Glad to have gotten this far....what a trial this has been.....the craft is so interesting to me...I must continue trying

Trying new method first rows

I read this method online and it looked pretty interesting...so I figured what could i lose by trying it....maybe it will be to my advantage to try....
UPDATE:I didn't like the way it was working out, so I took it out and did the old rag method to get it even to work....I feel better and it looks better!

Banana Nut Bread

Today ended up with a few things done....the phone is fixed ....(would you believe I only had one call all day :o(......I had to get up early this morning , and it kinds of leaves me sleepy all day...I tried to nap in the chair , but the TV wouldn't let me...usually on Saturday there is nothing worth looking at except on PBS....and the good stuff came on later..I wanted to work on my warping , but being sleepy didn't seem like a good idea!....So I ended up making the Banana Nut Bread< this was made from another recipe, seems I couldn't find my old one .....I tried to use it with Stevia< but it was a flop..so regular sugar is what I ended up making it with...the birds will have a feast off the other...I think the sugar has something to do with helping the rise....maybe the Stevia cookbook will have the answer....

Re-Learning the hard way :o(

I was so frustrated with the way in which the 3-phone set was acting especially after buying batteries for them.....somehow the ones on the "main line" (for lack of better terminology) stopped working....they worked when I first installed the new batteries then all of a sudden stopped! @#$% no need in beating my head up against the wall.....call The Cable co.....I only hesitate about doing that because your asked to push one button then another then someone gives you instructions that have nothing to do with the problem...in frustration you hang up!....after a day of that you decide to bite the bullet and try again....this time....SURPRISE: a HUMAN VOICE answers (nealy gave me a heart attack and I sounded like a babbling idiot so I could keep them on the line without losing them to another recording....Well, they promised to come between 7:30 am and 9 am....I woke up and got up at 7 so I would at least be a little rational...and explain what the problem was....I figured they would call and say "I'll be a little late" ( and show up after 12....well another Surprise, they arrived at 8:15 took them about 10 minutes to discover the problem. ( I had one wire not connected to the main stream <(I had it right and thought it was wrong,because that socket wasn't used before (come to find out either could be used) so I unpluged it) Duh! I should have realized the problem started after I did that...I was in such a titter , I just lost it.....oh Well, everything is now in working order and all is well again at Gingerbreads house .....Time to bake something to calm me down.....I'd like a Banana Nut Bread for a change with some cream cheese on it with a cup of coffee...wonder if Cecil will go to the store for some banana's < He who loves to eat is willing :o)

What you see is all I got :o(

It's a shame that after all that work, I goofed in the end and only ended up with this much! But I tell you it was a great learning piece...there were a number of things I learned from it....that I won't forget and that's important....This is the one that I miscounted (or counted correctly) and cut off the others to match and that made the whole thing to short ugh!

Last night at Weaving class I was able to take the weaving off the loom I had been learning on....and take it home..I'll do something with it to commemerate my efforts ;o)

was able to start a warp with the teacher at my side so I wouldn't make a mistake..That was another great lesson.. I finished it up just in time...(3 hours)at home it would have taken more :o) but this time I was learning the correct method....You can too teach and old dog new tricks :o)
I can't wait to take it off the warping board...I'm afraid to do it alone , last time at home I had a twisted mess...I think I did something out of order.. (I know I did). The yarn warped on so nicely , almost like butter (that's the best explanation that I could give so you'd know it was delicious :o)
This is one side of the two yards long experimenting piece....

Did you ever notice?

Did you ever notice when things go well and you receive big blessings , that "Trouble" seems to follow! First the phone batteries start going dead, then every body and their brothers call...this happened on Cecil's Birthday...all the kids and grands tried calling and the only thing working was the "messages"...we had been having some trouble with the "low Battery"...so finally decided to go for new phones.before the old phones we did have the batteries were so expensive we bought the new 3-phone set up...well, the new phones also were a problem....I was used to some "Extras" like speaker,and a few other luxuries.....plus the old phone was 5.8 GHz and the new was 2.4 (this old lady didn't realize that.....I bought the new phone because the batteries went with it (I thought the batteries would be more than the 3 phone set up (it wasn't)...but in the end it was no bargain for what I had become used to.....So back to Wal-Marts for the exchange for batteries for the old phones, now I have to wait until they charge up....isn't it funny how you miss the phone when it isn't working ....Still worked for those pest telemarketers.....:o(
Another bad thing that happened to me....I was well on my way with warping the loom with the same pattern....and I needed to warp more....I did ...!!! but I didn't realize that I had since corrected my self counting the warp....and darn it the warp was half the size.....I cut the others down to the last measured size, and I won't have enough to work for a day on it....ugh!@##% I have to say, making these mistakes have cost me more and taught me more than the weaving classes...Funny how you learn with mistakes ...all this time and I don't have a decent project to show....Just a lot of discarded threads that are of no good use.

Last of the last batch Whew!

I am so happy to finally be finished with "Harvesting Apples"...I worked hard, but at least I can see some good results...Cecil celebrates his 81st Birthday today, and seeing all the Apple sauce makes him happy, so that's his Birthday present from me.:o) he can eat a jar in a couple of days (maybe that's how he got to be 81 from Ginny's good cooking :o) As for me I don't want to see any more Apples unless we buy the tree, or it's in a pie or something I don't have to peel :o(. Thanks God, you really blessed this one.....

Apples sliced and Apple Sauce

What a beautiful bounty of Apples.....I'll be able to make pies,stew some apples and many other recipes from apples.....I'm very pleased at the way I did the slices, I was able to shake them down in the jar while filling..which gave less juice and more apple....I made a very light syrup with stevia, it's not "thick" but it's sweet . I'm finding Stevia is sweeter than sugar , it's natural and that's a good thing...

I love Jesus, but I drink a little :o) (not me , Gladys)

I don't usually watch Ellen Degeneras show , this was sent to me and I thought it was just too halerious not to share...click on site below and enjoy.
Ellen DeGeneres Show - Gladys Hardy

"Best Apple Pie"

Sometimes it doesn't pay to try and use a new fancy pie plate to make a pie look good. I decided today to use one of my old pie dishes ( I bought them years ago to make sweet potato pies by the 1/2 dozen ..the kids loved eating them and it seemed never to be enough with regular pans).
It was a good decision, I was able to make and apply the crust without trouble, I remembered a secret I used to make the crust, and wondered why I didn't remember that before, hope I'm not suffering from Alzheimer's ugh! The dish brought it all back.....like I said, Life today is good"

When Talking to God , be Specific

If your not specific God will open a window and pour out a blessing you won't have room to receive.......I "wished" for some Apples....and didn't say how many! Well, this morning I was blessed with more apples , these prettier than the last batch, and this morning we had some of the Apple Sauce I made yesterday..I have to say it was better than any store bought..:o) Cecil thinks I'm great, and can't seem to do enough to make me happy :o)....( I got him through his stomach hehehe)
I'm going to make some Apple Sauce ( Cecil can eat a jar in two or three days, I made quarts so I could get some too!....I'll be busy with the Apples the weekend, but that's just fine....today I'm making a pie in one of my old fashion pie dishes and so far it looks good, and the aroma is starting to filter in ....today Life is good!

All Together again ready for the next job

She has earned her keep once again...I'm so glad I refused to part with her when we moved here from NJ.....I even wish I had kept all the jars I gave away and now have to replace when I want to can something.....oh well, live and learn....

A wonderful Old Tool and Friend of Mine

After using this "Champion Juicer" I make sure it's cleaned good and all the dregs cleaned from it....I bought this in 1973 (I keep the receipt and the booklet that came with it all together)....that means this baby is 35 years old and still going strong....I don't know how many bushels of tomatoes she has juiced up for me in her hey day!....my mother would be surprised that I have it all (and together :o).she swore I couldn't keep a thing....I even have one of her old chairs :o)....

Be Careful what you wish for!

Looking at a few blogs, many were putting up Apples, and I wished I had planted an Apple tree when we planted the Pear trees,...We planned to do it this Fall.....but I said "God, I wish I had some Apples"> They may as well fell into my lap the same day, by Cecil expressing it by chance to an acquaintance....
Well, they didn't look like the picture perfect Apples I'd been looking at, but after all, I asked God for them and this is what he sent! They are the darkest red apples I've ever seen ...and the skin looks kind of funny , but when peeled the apples were without blemish (a few were bad).what a surprise how "solid" they were. I don't know what kind they are, I think they are from an old tree.
Like a true farmers wife , I woke up at 5:30 am ( me who can sleep til noon)and had a good nights sleep, and decided to have a cup of coffee and get started with those apples before I started procrastinated .. See the results below
UPDATE, name of the Apple Tree is "Arkansas Black"

Results of Labor....Rest in the Freezer

This it the Apple Sauce Ginny made ....and I used part "Stevia" for the sweetener, Hot it tastes pretty good , Mikey thinks so too! , maybe by breakfast time the last pint that I stuck in the fridge without processing will taste better.
I don't plan on doing anything else today....I'm too pooped to pop! or even to mess with the Loom...I'm feeling my age today!
Besides the Apple sauce you see, I got 10 quarts of apples in the freezer for pies.
"Let it Snow let it Snow!"